“I’m too tired”, “I’m very busy”, “The gym is far from me”, “I’m too out of shape” are among many, many excuses I hear from people who don’t work out. The problem is they are not looking at working out as a necessity so it just sort of falls by the wayside. The interesting thing is we have so much information at our fingertips that clearly demonstrates that leading an active life should no longer be an option, it should be a must, if you want to have a pain free, disease free and stress free life. It just won’t happen otherwise.Let’s look at some of the common excuses and see if we can figure out a way to work around them. For the example, the “I’m too tired” excuse. Yes, I know, we are all tired with work, kids, maybe elderly parents, etc. The
paradoxical effect of exercise, however, is that if done correctly it will give you more energy when you do it on a regular basis than if you do nothing. So, for the tired folks I suggest carve out half an hour to go for a light jog or brisk walk in the evening. You will come back feeling refreshed and you will sleep better that night. The next day, you will not be as tired and will be able to attend to your responsibilities with just a little more vigour. On this day, use your half hour to lift some light to moderate weights. Again, this will leave you feeling better than when you began. Switch off your strength and cardio days and build in a rest day or two. You will notice over time that you have more energy throughout your day. All you need is half an hour a day.
The “I’m busy excuse” is easily debunked because that same half hour you spent checking your Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and email can be spent working out. There’s no way that you can’t find half an hour a day to work out. It’s all about priorities and time management. And the gym being too far from your house is not a good excuse either since you can work out at home or go for a run/jog/walk outside around the block if you have to. You don’t need a designated place to work out. Look up some workout programs on your phone and do it in the comfort of your home. No gym needed. Not a good excuse at all.
Now let’s look at the “I’m too out of shape” excuse. Being out of shape and feeling intimidated at the gym is something that a lot of people are dealing with. To them I say, you don’t need a gym to start doing something. Go for a walk, take your bike out or go swimming, play basket ball or tennis, lift some weights at home, do calisthenics on the playground. It’s all about improving your health. If you know it’s important, do it, do something. No one is going to do it for you. If you look at your health regimen as important and vital as breathing, you will do it.
I’ve heard it said that if you want something, you find a way and if you don’t, you’ll find an excuse. What’s it going to be?